Page 12 of Destined By Dragonblood
His flirting caught me off guard, and I fucking smiled. Flashed my teeth at a mere human for making me feel good.
My inner beast purred and settled in his prison at the deepest reaches of me, tail curling around his body, a huffed exhale emptying his lungs.
Alpha.
Ignoring his whisper, I erased the smile from my mouth.
“Are you sure you’re all right?” Vanni checked in with me again, handing me a second bottle of water, careful not to touch my hand in the exchange. “No one has ever taken my full strength, and the fact you’re standing and lucid...” Lips pressing together, he shook his head as I guzzled his offering. “You’re one hell of a man, Dolyn Kemmerly.”
I had endured and stood strong so quickly after the beating because I was Blood Born, but this human didn’t need to know that.
“It would take a lot to drop me to my knees,” I informed him while re-capping the empty container.
Lust flared in his steady gaze, and I cursed that nothing about this human’s body suggested dragonblood flowed in his veins. He would be a prime candidate?—
I cut the thought off. This man, while smelling of delicious musk, was a dominant and, like me, would never submit himself to another even if he had been a fated beta mate.
He gestured toward the bottle, and I handed it over, escaping temptation to simply brush my fingertips over his.
“Will I see you again, Dolyn?” A hint of insecurity inflected in his tone, and I allowed myself a single fantasy of grabbing hold of his black leather harness and riding his ass from behind.
My cock didn’t so much as twitch but not surprising considering the release Vanni had gifted me through pain.
“I have no intentions of returning,” I stated firmly, retrieving the robe I’d been given for walking through the lounge. My clothes were in a locker room off the entryway to Vanni’s club. Showers were also available, but I preferred complete privacy for bathing.
“Thank you for gifting me what I requested.” I shoved my arms through the sleeves and settled the satin material over my shoulders. The hem hung beneath my ass but only barely. The cane marks on my lower thighs would be visible to anyone who cared to look, and while I hated to have other patrons know I had submitted my body to anyone, I would avoid their gazes and stride with purpose toward my destination.
Turning away, I lifted my chin and let myself out of the private room, shutting the door firmly behind me.
My dragon whimpered, but I ignored him as I did the club members and employees.
One last night, I had told myself, and it’d been so good, better even than any pain Elijah had inflicted. Although days had passed, it seemed mere hours earlier I’d been heartbroken over the loss of my lover.
Thanks to Vanni, I now felt confident in taking the next step toward my destiny.
Wanting to stretch my wings, I camouflaged once out of sight from other night owls in Manhattan, shifted on a quiet corner, not bothering to save any clothing. The shredded material and boots lay below as I escaped like a rocket into the night sky.
I allowed my inner beast a little more freedom than usual, his heightened sense of smell drinking in the cold air, tasting every subtle hint of the city far beneath us on our tongue.
Wanted to scent him.
I ignored the voice radiating through my head. My serpentine body moved through pockets of air, every flex of muscle in my lower half a sweet, achy reminder of Vanni’s heavy hand.
Submit.
Master Vanni.
I told the beast to shut up, but he persisted in complaining that I hadn’t allowed him a taste of the dominant who’d given my human half pleasure. After a solid ten minutes of manipulative whispers trying to convince me that submission would have been sweet and rewarding, I had enough.
We are alpha, I reminded the beast while muzzling him.
I flew eastward in peaceful silence, banking and dipping in the cooling Atlantic before bursting back up through its surface, salt water snorting from my nostrils. Talons skimming the surface, I took the time to reflect on all of the emotions that had been roused in the previous couple of days.
Anger and hurt over Elijah claiming someone other than me.
Elation at his female’s vision of the two mates destined for me and locating one.
Relief for never having submitted fully to my ex-lover whom I had considered settling for.
